Trickster's Family
by cousin D
Summary: Slayers Crossover with Ranma 1/2. Xellos isn't exactly who he appears to be. The Nermia crew helps out when another war is on the horizon.   Slash, but not graphic.


These characters are not mine. Pity.  
  
For anyone who doesn't know: a Mazoku is a monster and a Ryuzoku is a dragon. Each race hates the other.  
  
  
Tricksters' family  
  
  
Written by cousin D  
  
  
Xellos followed his friends at a distance and whistled while they walked. He was floating several feet in the air with his ruby tipped staff in one hand. Everyone else, including Lina, the red haired sorceress, was dirty and weary from the journey.   
  
Lina growled over her shoulder at Xellos, "Can't you at least give us a little help in the battles?"  
  
He chuckled at her sour tone. "Yes. I could, but where would be the fun in that?" It was just to much fun to watch them fight against all odds.  
  
-Plus you like the pretty lights from her dragon slave. - A low voice inside his head told him.  
  
-That too. - Xellos answered the voice easily.  
  
-Take this little quest seriously, please.- The familiar voice told him. -You know what will happen if any of these people is killed. The family will have our heads! -  
  
-Relax. You know how talented our little Lina is. She can take care of herself. As for the others, I will take care of them.- His eyes went to one of the recent member of their group, the blond priestess, Filia. -I still don't know why you want her here. She's a dragon.- He said with distaste.  
  
-Don't pretend you don't like her.- The voice teased. -Remember, I know everything you know, including how you feel about her. You pervert.-   
  
Xellos almost blushed. Almost.  
  
  
There was a shrill cry in the forest and everyone stopped. Lina scowled and looked around cautiously. With all the trouble lately, she didn't want to have to deal with more surprises so soon. Actually, after a nice rest and a hot bath Lina would have enjoyed a good fight. But not right now.  
  
"What was that?" Filia asked, sounding slightly afraid, her mace all ready out and poised for battle. Gourry and Zelgadis had already drawn their swords while Lina gathered a fireball in one hand. Amelia had a shield spell ready to use if needed and Xellos was trying to sneak away.   
  
"Oh, dear." Xellos whispered. The Mazoku recognized that cry. He had to get away. Now. If Lina found out his secret...well, she probably wouldn't be real happy.  
  
"Well," Lina said slowly after several quiet minutes. "I guess whatever it was is gone, now."  
  
"Aggggg!" Everyone looked at Xellos, now sprawled on the ground with a purple haired woman gloomped onto him. She had her arms and legs wrapped around his body and Xellos could barely move. His staff had fallen to the ground. The woman attached to him was smiling sweetly and cuddling into him. "Get off me!" Xellos screamed, almost in a panic.  
  
"You no get away, Xellos." The woman said with a strange accent. She kissed him. Actually, she kissed him a great deal all over his face and neck and Lina thought if she didn't say something, the woman would have kept working her way down.  
  
"Xellos?" Lina stood over them and smirked at the Mazoku who struggled to get to his feet with the woman attached to him. "Is there something you want to tell us? About your special friend, maybe?"  
  
Xellos tried very hard to remain cool. "Tell you? No, nothing I can think of. Why do you ask?" The woman was trying to take his shirt off while he swatted at her hands desperately.  
  
"Oh, no reason, just the girl who seems intent on stripping you. It sort of gave me a hint." Lina laughed and couldn't seem to stop herself.  
  
"What? This girl." Xellos looked down as if he'd just noticed her. He had managed to stand now, but the woman still clung to him. "I don't even know this girl, Miss Lina."  
  
That stopped the girl. She looked up at his smiling face and frown. The woman released Xellos and landed on the ground with ease. "You is telling lies, Xellos, again. Shampoo can tell."  
  
Filia stepped forward and pointed her mace at Xellos. "What are you hiding, Xellos? Something evil, no doubt."  
  
The purple haired girl crossed her arms over her ample chest and continued to glare at Xellos. "Man who toy with Amazon woman's heart go to very bad place, Xellos. You knows this."  
  
Xellos picked up his staff and walked behind Lina. "I think you have the wrong person, Miss." He told the girl with long purple hair, a nervous twitch to his smile.   
  
The girl shook her head stubbornly. "You is Xellos. You come home, now. We waiting to long for you!"  
  
"That's right, honey." Everyone looked at the new voice. This was another woman in tight fitting pants and a large spatula strapped to her back. She was leaning against a tree, her arms crossed across her chest and a smug grin on her face. "You were supposed to be home weeks ago, remember?"  
  
Everyone looked back at Xellos who was no longer there. "Where the hell did he go now this time?" Lina demanded.  
  
"He'll be back." The second girl said confidently as she stepped away from the tree and closer to the group.   
  
"How do you know?" Gourry asked, scratching his head.  
  
There was a loud scream in the distance and Lina recognized it as Xellos. They all got ready to run to the rescue when the two girls stepped in front of them. "Hi. I'm Ukyo and this is Shampoo." She gestured to the girl who'd attached herself to Xellos.   
  
Lina just looked at them for a moment and then decided that Xellos could take care of himself. "I'm Lina and these are my friends, Gourry, Zelgadis, Amelia, and Filia."  
  
Ukyo nodded. "I know."  
  
Lina frowned. "How could you know us? Has Xellos told you about us? How do you know him?"  
  
Shampoo said happily, "We two of his mates. Xellos tell us everything."  
  
Jaws hit the ground in typical anime fashion. "Mates?" Lina asked loudly. "As in, wives?"  
  
Filia could be heard grinding her teeth and slapping her mace against the palm of her hand. She was NOT jealous! At least that was what she was telling herself. She had never guessed that Xellos was married. NOT jealous!  
  
"Yes. His third wife is here somewhere. I expect it's she who caught him." Ukyo continued, ignoring Filia.  
  
There was another shriek of agony from Xellos in the dark forest. "Yep." Ukyo commented. "That's Akane, all right."  
  
Amelia flinched. "She's going to hurt him!"  
  
Shampoo shook her head. "Akane no hurt Xellos. She just upset he no come home sooner." Xellos' scream of fear and pain was suddenly cut off and left an ominous silence.  
  
At this point all their attention was caught by a dark figure walking out of the forest with an unconcience Xellos over her shoulder. The new girl held Xellos' staff in one hand, a large wooden mallet in the other hand, and Xellos over her left shoulder.  
  
"Is he all right, Akane?" Ukyo asked.  
  
The new girl wore a mask and was almost completely covered, head to toe, in black. She was, in fact, dressed much like Zelgadis, except that she wore no cape.  
  
"Yeah." Her voice was soft and gentle. "Ranma's fine. Darned fool tried to get away again. He should know better by now."   
  
  
After everyone had been introduced, Ukyo started a campfire and invited Lina and her friends to sit with them for the night. Lina had agreed for the group, partly because the girl in black, Akane, sat by Xellos' still form, watching him intently and Lina felt they should look after him. Mainly, though, it was because these people had lots of food. Shampoo had a ton of noodles she said were called Ramen and Ukyo immediately started to cook something called Okinomiaky.   
  
Shampoo handed out her ramen to Lina and asked. "So, how you know Xellos?"  
  
Lina snorted as she wolfed down her food. "He's sort of traveling with us. We know enough about him, but he's not really very nice. Why did you call him Ranma?"  
  
Ukyo laughed. "Not very nice? That's an understatement. We called him Ranma because that's his name, he should have told you that long ago. We'll explain everything we can when Xellos wakes up."  
  
At this time, Xellos woke up, rubbing his head and groaning. He looked at Akane who said, "You never learn, do you?"  
  
Xellos smirked at her. "If I did I wouldn't get to feel your mallet, would I?"  
  
She handed him back the staff and a bowl of ramen. "Eat up. We're going home."  
  
"Er..." Xellos rubbed the back of his head. "I hate to tell you this, but I can't go home right now. I have some very important things to do."  
  
"Like what?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sore wa desu himatsu..." He usual answer was cut off sharply as Akane moved faster than anyone could see and had Xellos against a tree. She was holding him by the throat and looked deep into his eyes.   
  
"Don't give me that, "That is a secret" crap, Xellos. You know it won't work with me."  
  
The two other girls looked at him coolly.   
  
-Right, now what do I say?- Xellos asked the voice in his mind.  
  
-I'll be darned if I know. Personally, I wouldn't fight them. You know how the girls get when they want something.-  
  
-But the quest...-  
  
-Forget the quest for a few days. We promised we'd come home. Just go with them. Where's your honor, after all?-  
  
-I don't have any. You know that!-  
  
  
  
Lina was suddenly angry with Xellos. He was causing trouble and he was, apparently, a pervert. Three wives!   
  
Akane did let Xellos down, but only after he promised to behave himself.  
  
Lina grumbled at Xellos and prepared to do something she did quite often. All this secrecy was irritating and she wanted to get some answers. Knowing Xellos as she did, Lina really didn't trust that he would tell them the truth without a little incentive. Even then, he would likely lie.  
  
Lina bared her teeth and rolled up a sleeve, preparing to get Xellos in a headlock. She knew it wouldn't really hurt him and it was a great stress reliever. As she approached the Mazoku priest of the Beast Master, Lina didn't see the sharp look Akane gave her.  
  
Lina reached out a hand to him, only to have it kicked aside.  
  
"Ahhh!" Lina grabbed her stinging wrist and looked to find Akane standing in a strange fighting position. Akane held her hands in front of her and just waited. Lina didn't need an invitation to a fight and she was very confident. So she attacked.  
  
Akane quickly threw Lina back against a tree while Xellos watched and appeared to be mildly amused. Lina looked up, shocked that she'd been so easily thrown. "So, that's the way you want it?" Lina stood again and drew her sword. She almost thought she could see Akane smiling behind the mask as she charged.  
  
Again, Lina was thrown like a sack of potatoes against a nearby tree when Akane had easily disarmed her. This time, Lina saw stars for a few minutes and was really getting mad. "Fine." She said, shaking her head to clear it. "I'll just have to play tough."  
  
Lina stood up and got ready to do some magic. Unfortunately, every spell she cast, Akane easily avoided with amazing jumps and spins until the girl was right in front of Lina and grabbed her by the throat as she had done to Xellos earlier.   
  
Lina choked when Akane's hand tightened around her throat and she felt herself lifted into the air. The tight fist around her throat prevented her from saying any spells.  
  
Akane held her there, with one hand, two feet in the air and said softly, "You will not attack him."   
  
Lina felt herself running out of air, but she couldn't fight free of Akane. The girl was far to strong. Lina kicked at Akane, but it felt like she was kicking stone and Akane didn't even blink at Lina's hardest kicks.  
  
"Light come forth!" Gourry, seeing his dearest friend endangered charged Akane with his Sword of Light blazing.  
  
Akane looked over her shoulder at the swordsman running at her and cocked her head to the side, curiously. She dropped Lina as if the sorceress was no longer interesting.  
  
This time, Gourry went flying into a tree. His Sword of Light did not go with him.   
  
Gourry was sometimes, even he admitted, not to bright. But even he could see the danger of someone who could defeat Lina Inverse and Gourry's Gora Nova with her bare hands and not break a sweat.  
  
He glared at Akane who now held his precious Sword in her gloved hands, examining it carefully. Gourry wanted desperately wanted to fight to get his sword back, but he had a very strong suspicion that this girl would kick his rear end if he tried.  
  
Xellos finally stood up and clapped his hands together once. "Well, I suppose there's no help for it now. We'll all just have to go to the village and I'll explain everything."  
  
"What village?" Zelgadis asked. "There's no village on any maps for miles around here."  
  
Shampoo grinned. "Stone man get surprise. You go to Amazon Village of Jusenkyo."  
  
  
  
  
The village was huge. It was surrounded on all sides by immense log walls and several people guarded the open front gate with weapons unlike anything Lina had ever seen. They arrived that night, instead of waiting for the next morning as Akane had planned.  
  
Once in the village, they were greeted by a mystifying sight.   
  
Xellos was instantly spotted and surrounded by laughing, smiling crowds of people. Old and young came and called him everything from father to grandfather and uncle. The people were dressed in beautiful silk clothes and everyone was armed.  
  
Xellos himself seemed to change once in the village. He hugged a young man with glasses and a long white robe after giving his staff to a boy with a yellow bandanna in his black, unruly hair. Lina looked closer at this boy and thought she actually saw fangs.  
  
Xellos hugged the people who came to see him and smiled at everyone. Filia almost fainted when she saw him toss a young girl into the air and catch her gently. "Who are they?" The dragon priestess asked. "Why do they love Xellos?" She didn't say what she was really thinking. Why didn't he love HER like this?  
  
  
  
They were all invited into Shampoo's home, a large house made of logs where Xellos made formal introductions.  
  
"This is one of my wives, Shampoo, Matriarch of the Amazons of the world." The purple haired girl smiled and bowed slightly to them. "Ukyo, foremost witch in the world."  
  
Lina interrupted, angry. "I'm the greatest Sorceress in the world!" She declared.  
  
"Perhaps," Ukyo said. "But you are not a witch."  
  
"Same things, isn't it?"  
  
Ukyo groaned and slapped her forehead. "Remind me to have a talk with Luna. She's neglected your education. A sorceress uses spells to call on the power of spirits and other supernatural creatures. A witch uses herbs and elements from nature to do magic."  
  
Lina had focused on one word that Ukyo had said. "Luna?" Lina shivered and her eyes grew wide with fear. "How do you know Luna?" She was trying to stay in control but thoughts of her psycho demon sister were running wild in her mind.  
  
"Because she's my daughter." Ukyo said easily.  
  
"What!" Everyone in Lina's group demanded. Then they looked at Lina. "Does that mean Miss Lina's your daughter, too?" Amelia asked.  
  
"No."  
  
"Anyway," Xellos said, trying to get Lina's mind away from her sister. "This is my third wife, Akane, mistress of Anything Goes Martial Arts." Akane was sitting in a corner of the home, still holding Gourry's sword, not paying attention to the conversation.   
  
"Three wives?" Filia spoke suddenly and looked at Xellos through half closed eyes. "What kind of raw garbage has three wives?" She sniffed haughtily.  
  
"An active one." Akane spoke up from the corner. All right, so maybe she WAS paying attention to the conversation.   
  
Shampoo giggled and three other people came in. Two men and another woman, a very beautiful woman, who all gave Xellos hugs. They sat near him and only then noticed Lina and her friends staring.  
  
Lina recognized two of the men from the greeting Xellos got, but she'd never seen the woman. "These are my husbands." Xellos told them.  
  
Everyone hit the floor. Filia was the first to get up and screamed at him. "Husbands?!"  
  
"Yes. Ryoga, world's greatest explorer." He pointed to the boy with the yellow and black bandanna. "Mousse, world class healer and physician." The boy with long black hair and glasses bowed to them from the waist. "And Konatsu, ninga master."  
  
"Xellos," Lina said as calmly as she could. "I think I know everything about your private live that I want to know." She eyed one of the husbands, Konatsu, who appeared to be a woman.  
  
"That's to bad, because you're about to learn a good deal more." Ukyo said. "In fact, he should have told you everything long ago." She looked at Xellos accusingly.  
  
"But, Ukyo, that would have taken all the fun out of it!" Xellos protested.  
  
"Xellos, do you mind if I tell this tale?" Mousse asked. "I'm a better storyteller than you are."  
  
"Of coarse not, lover."  
  
Mousse blushed and his glasses fogged slightly. He cleared throat, obviously embarrassed. "Why don't you change, that might help them to understand."  
  
Xellos nodded and the oddest thing happened. His body faded away to be replaced by another body, this one of a younger boy. This one had black hair tied into a pigtail and bright blue eyes. He smiled and bowed slightly. "Hello. My name is Ranma Satome. Sorry about this."  
  
Lina took a deep breath. "I want to leave now." She said softly. "I don't want to know any more. This isn't my business."  
  
Shampoo smirked. "Is more your business than you know. First we must have your word of honor that you will be silent about what you learn here."  
  
Ranma nodded. "That's right. This whole story is a great secret that no one must know."  
  
"Why?" Filia asked. She somehow though she could trust this Ranma personality better than Xellos, for some reason, but she still wasn't sure that she trusted him.  
  
They were interrupted by a large crash just outside the window. Shampoo sighed and called. "Cologne! You no fighting here, now. We busy."  
  
A small, black haired child with Ryoga's fangs looked in through one of the windows. "Sorry, mommy. I'm just playing with Fenn."  
  
Shampoo gave the girl an amused look. "Playing means marriage challenge, yes?"  
  
The girl, who couldn't have been more than six, smiled shyly. "Maybe."  
  
"Go play other place." Shampoo shooed her daughter away and they all heard the girl's voice.  
  
"Come on, Fenn. Let's go to the forest to spar."  
  
"But I don't want to spar."  
  
The voices faded away and Ranma looked at the group. "That is the answer to your question, Filia. We have many children here and if the Ryuzoku or Mazoku find out that Xellos Metallium has an earthly home with family, we'd never get any peace and all our children would be threatened."  
  
Lina nodded. "I suppose that's reasonable. I'll agree." She looked at everyone else. Amelia nodded, not wanting any harm to come to the children. Zelgadis nodded, because he thought honor demanded it. Gourry said,   
  
"What was the question again?"  
  
Lina sighed. "Just say yes, Gourry."  
  
Gourry obligingly said, "Yes."  
  
Everyone looked at Filia. She stared at her hands for a moment and agreed, but she asked a little bitterly, "How many children do you have?"  
  
Ranma thought for a moment. He shrugged helplessly and Shampoo hit him over the head with one of her bonborri (A strange weapon by Lina's standards. It was a large metal ball on a short pole). "Stupid Airen no remember his own children! Shampoo have nineteen children by Ranma."  
  
"I've got twenty three," Ukyo said proudly. "And Akane's got us both beat by thirty and counting."  
  
"And counting?" Amelia asked, stunned by the number of Ranma's children.  
  
Shampoo looked over at the silent girl happily. "She have another on the way."  
  
As if to take the attention away from herself Akane added, "And Ranma's has given birth to one child himself. Rather, herself."  
  
Lina sweat dropped. "He's given birth?"  
  
"It's not really a secret anymore." Ranma said and picked up a bucket of water from near the fireplace. He dumped the water over his head and Lina was amazed to see the black hair fade into red and the large boy fade into a small girl. Strangely, the small girl had a great shape. Ranma-Chan winked at Lina. "Don't worry about your chest. Trust me, if you've gotten any of my blood, you'll develop."  
  
Lina was very happy for a moment. Then her mind went to the other fact. "You mean, you...you're my father?"  
  
"No. I'm your mother." He corrected her.  
  
"Gee," Amelia commented softly. "No wonder you were so comfortable cross dressing."  
  
Lina almost fainted. Almost.  
  
"So who's my father?"   
  
Ranma-Chan seemed a little embarrassed. "I'm not really sure. It sort of has to be one of them," He pointed at the three men. "But I'm not sure who. I got a little tipsy at a party and I woke up the next morning, pregnant. Surprised the heck at me." Ranma-Chan grimaced. "Xellos laughed at me for two months."  
  
Lina was still looking at the men. For some reason, she happened to looked at Konatsu, whom Lina still thought was a woman, and saw ruby eyes. Just like her own.  
  
Konatsu smiled shyly at Lina.  
  
"How did you do that?" Zelgadis asked Ranma. He was interested in transformation spells to change his chimera body back to human.  
  
Ranma shrugged. "I'm cursed."  
  
"Cursed?"  
  
"It's a long story. I fell into a cursed spring when I was younger and now I change into a girl when I get splashed with cold water. Hot water makes me a guy again."  
  
"I've never heard of any such thing." Amelia said doubtfully. "And how does Xellos fit into this? Is he your split personality?"  
  
Filia shook her head. "It can't be as simple as split personality, Amelia. Xellos is definitely a Mazoku. Ranma is human. There is no feeling of evil about him at all."  
  
"We prefer that no one has herd of this sort of curse." Mousse told her. "If dangerous people got their hands on the cursed springs of Jusenkyo, they could wreak havoc. Now, to get back to our story. It all happened a long time ago."  
  
  
Flashback-  
  
  
The world was ending due to a war of the gods. They fought to be supreme and to hold the greatest power. Unfortunately, all of this fighting eventually effected the mortal world.   
  
Earth was torn by natural disasters, caused by the warring gods. Tidal waves and earthquakes, tornadoes and fires killed billions of humans and showed no signs of stopping. Most of humanity had given up on life.  
  
In Nermia, Japan, under a small restaurant named Uchan's Okanamiky eight silent people huddled together. Most of them had never considered going to the others for comfort in their last moments.  
  
Ukyo was on her knees with gentle Konatsu at her side. He didn't touch her, just watched his love for signs that she might need him. Ukyo owned the restaurant that had been above the cellar they were in. From the noise several hours ago, the earthquakes had destroyed the restaurant. It was her life. Ukyo had nothing else. She had cried herself out long ago.  
  
Shampoo was lying on her side with Mousse, her childhood friend, holding her head in his lap. There was a time when she would have had to much pride to let him, a mere man, hold her like this. Now, she was to depressed to care. This morning, she had seen her beloved grandmother killed as the roof of their home had fallen in on them. Mousse had come just in time to pull Shampoo out of the rubble and carry her to Ukyo's with Shampoo's broken leg. Shampoo had cried the whole way, desperately wanting to go and find her grandmother's body. Mousse wouldn't let her, fearing the next earthquake.  
  
One girl, with short black hair, was cradling an infant boy and was singing softly to him. He was asleep and Akane was glad that at least her little nephew wouldn't know the end was coming. The ceiling over them creaked ominously and everyone knew it wouldn't be long, now. Next to the girl was a serious looking young man with dark hair and a yellow and black bandanna. He had his arm around her shaking shoulders but really didn't know what to say. He wanted so badly to comfort her, but Ryoga had no idea how. They all knew they would die, very soon.  
  
In the center of the room a young man stood, his arms down at his side and swore at himself. With all his power, strength, and training, he had no way to save his friends. He couldn't help anyone. He was completely helpless.  
  
Ranma had already seen his father, and many good friends, die in the past few weeks from the never-ending disasters. Ranma Satome looked around at his closest friends. They had all seen terrible things. Akane had lost most of her family to a fire and her sister Kasumi had died with her husband Tofu in a subsequent flood. Only one of Kasumi's children survived. Little Gora.  
  
Then Ranma's thoughts went to the one person in his life who was unaccounted for. His mother. She could be dead, also.  
  
  
The gods looked down and saw what they had done. The world was at its end and they were no longer able to survive. The gods were dying because of their own war and knew they had to do something. Their knowledge and power had to survive.  
  
The gods looked down on the Earth and found a woman of impeccable character and compassion. This woman would be the receptacle of their power.  
  
  
Nadoka Satome was on her porch as the storm raged outside her seaside home. The waved crested at incredible heights and the gale was so great that shingles were raining down around her.  
  
One shingle struck her on the head, but Nadoka didn't so much as flinch, even when the blood trickled down her cheek. She knew the end was near, but she wouldn't hide from death. No more than she would any mortal enemy. If only she had her son, Ranma.  
  
Nadoka wished to see her son more than anything right now. She wanted to see him some place safe and happy, but there was no such place on Earth, now. If only she could see him one last time.  
  
The woman felt a strange pain in her mind. Perhaps due to the falling shingle, so she put a hand to her temple, but the pain didn't stop. Soon, the pain was agony and Nadoka was on the floor, curled in a ball and trying not to cry.  
  
She was everything. The pain vanished.  
  
Nadoka felt everything in the world and knew the very earth beneath her feet.  
The power in her soul was unending and Nadoka stood. Her eyes shining with the knowledge of how to save her remaining family.  
  
Instantly she was in the cellar where the children dear to her were.  
  
  
Ranma looked up at his mother, shocked to say the least.  
  
"Mother!"  
  
The beautiful woman smiled at her pride and joy. "My Ranma. I've changed a great deal and I have the power to give you and your friends the ability to survive this destruction. Will you let me?"  
  
Ranma looked at his friends and knew he couldn't bear to lose them. He would do anything to save them. Anything.  
  
Ranma nodded.  
  
Nadoka Satome held out a hand to her son. "I am the Lord of Nightmares. With my power I grant you all eternal youth. You will be forever untouched by death."  
  
  
End Flashback-  
  
  
"Long ago," Konatsu said in a soft, feminine voice. "We all fought and actually tried to kill each other. Most of us hated each other for one reason or another, usually it involved Ranma and who he was going to marry.   
  
When the disasters threaten Earth, we all lost our families and realized we only had each other left. As the world changed and we didn't, it seemed only natural that we became a family."  
  
"That's just not right!" Amelia cried. "It's not right that you all...well..." She blushed deeply and whispered, "Sleep together."  
  
Ryoga smiled at the girl tolerantly. "You are very young, Amelia of Seyruun. We are all very, very old."  
  
Shampoo sniffed and turned away from him in a snit. "Speak for self, pig boy! Shampoo only sixteen!"  
  
Ryoga smiled at Shampoo and then seemed to think of something. He frowned and looked at Filia closely. His frown deepened and he stared hard at Ranma realizing something. "You said that you don't want the Ryuzoku to know about us, Ranma. How could they find out, unless..." He looked at Filia with a scowl.  
  
Everyone stared at Ranma. "She's Ryuzoku, isn't she?" Ryoga snarled. "You brought a Ryuzoku into the village! After what they did to us? What they did to Akane?"  
  
The others seemed to share his opinion. Konatsu looked disappointed in Ranma. "That was very insensitive, Ranma."  
  
Shampoo shook her head. "No good decision, Airen."  
  
"Jeeze, honey." Ukyo frowned. "You know the laws. No Ryuzoku allowed within a hundred miles of the village." She glared at Filia. "We kill them on sight for c crimes against our family." Ukyo all ready had her giant spatula in her hands and ready for battle. Filia shivered, looking at the razor sharp edge.  
  
Filia squirmed and wondered why they all hated her people so much. It was Xellos' influence, it must be. He'd made them hate her.  
  
Mousse shook his head. "How could you do this to Akane?"  
  
"It's all right." Everyone looked at Akane. "That was a long time ago. I'm sure Filia had nothing to do with the attack."  
  
Lina glanced at Akane and was very curious about what the Ryuzoku did to her. She wanted to ask, but was interrupted by Filia. "What ever my people did, it was surely in retaliation for the War of the Monster's Fall." She said defensively.  
  
"There never would have been a war if it weren't for the Ryuzoku!" Ranma shouted, suddenly angry. "Your people hurt my family before the war! Because of the Ryuzoku, Xellos was born!"   
  
"What are you talking about? The Mazoku attacked first!" Filia countered, her tail appeared, showing her agitation.   
  
"Wrong! I started the war after the Ryuzoku attacked my village." Ranma unconciencely looked at Akane. "Your people hurt my family deeply, Filia, and I can never forgive them."  
  
  
Flashback-  
  
  
Akane stood several hundred yards infront of her village. Her other mates were busy evacuating their children to the safety of other villages and the surrounding forests.  
  
Akane deliberately raised her Ki level and a blue mist surrounded her. She was so frightened as the golden glimmer appeared over the horizon, a horde of golden Ryuzoku.  
  
They were coming for Jusenkyo, the cursed springs that the Amazon villagers guarded. Who knew what those dragons would do with the waters once they found it. Akane was the only one who could guard the village, the others, once they had the children to safety, would be at Jusenkyo. The village was expendable and they could afford to build another village. They couldn't afford to lose Jusenkyo to the golden Ryuzoku. The Ryuzoku always had secret agenda for what they wanted.  
  
The horde drew closer and Akane shivered. Ranma had gone on a journey, exploring the further reaches of this world and didn't have any way of knowing the danger they were in. If only he were here. Akane was proud to fight to defend her home and family, but...she would just feel better with him here beside her.  
  
They were within sight now and it was up to Akane to draw their attention away from nearby Jusenkyo. If possibly, she would save the village, but she remembered Mousse's strong hands on her shoulders, just before he went with the others to Jusenkyo.  
  
"Don't be to brave, Akane-Chan." He told her. "If the battle is to fierce, get away. They're only buildings." He gestured to the empty village. "We want you back with us."  
  
Akane kissed him softly, his lips were so soft, and watched him walk away. Mousse was a great healer and his gently hands would be needed if she fell to the Ryuzoku and they found Jusenkyo.  
  
Akane glared at the Ryuzoku, so close she imagined she could feel the heat of their laser breath, and vowed she wouldn't fall. This was her home!  
  
Akane drew her hands back and powered up. She thought of all the children who could be killed by the Ryuzoku in the next few days. She thought of her mates in the forest, surely frightened, and of poor Ranma who would return to find a ruined village should she fail.  
  
She was, by now, very depressed. "Shi Shi Hokodan!" She screamed and let off a large energy blast that would make Ryoga proud.  
  
It wasn't enough and Akane got ready to fight.  
  
The Ryuzoku closed in, the earth scorched by laser breath at her feet.  
  
  
  
  
Someone was holding her.  
  
Pain.  
  
Akane felt pain shooting through her body and strong arms holding her. She pried her eyes open, groaning at the agony as bright sunlight filled her vision.   
  
"Relax."   
  
Akane closed her eyes at the familiar and welcomed voice. "Ranma." It came out a horrible croak and Akane wondered why she couldn't remember the battle after the first few minutes. The pain lessened into numbness.  
  
"Rest, Akane. I'm taking you to Mousse. Everything's going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine." His voice was shaking and Akane desperately wanted to know what was wrong. Was she that badly hurt? Had she failed?  
  
Once in the forest by Jusenkyo, Mousse gave her a tonic that let her sleep and when Akane woke Ranma was gone. Immediately, Akane worried.  
  
"Shampoo think he go for revenge." Akane's wife, Shampoo told her.  
  
"What!?" Akane demanded with a hoarse voice. Mousse had promised she would be able to speak and see properly in a few days, but they still wouldn't tell her exactly what had happened. "He's insane! I've the same power as Ranma, and if I couldn't stop them, how's he going to?"  
  
"Ranma say he going to find more power."  
  
  
  
It was night when Akane managed to sneak away from her family. They were protecting her from something, but she didn't know what. The Ryuzoku had gone, after she'd killed several of them. Currently the family was camping the forest on the banks of Jusenkyo. Something must have happened to the village and Akane wanted to know what it was.  
  
She waited until everyone was asleep and crept away. Several centuries of studying Anything Goes Martial Arts made it quite simple. She was, by now, very good. Ranma could no longer best her in a fight and Ryoga had no hope against her.  
  
The village was burned to the ground. The Ryuzoku were looking for the source of the magic, but they hadn't found the springs just outside the village. Their homes were in ruins.  
  
Akane went to the fountain that had been in the center of the village square. She sat on the edge of the stone fountain, wondering why she was still in pain. It wasn't the horrible agony that she'd remembered, Mousse must have done something for it, but there was a constant dull ache in her muscles and bones.  
  
The girl happened to look down into the little amount of water still in the fountain. She stared at what her loved ones had been trying to hide form her. Her own face.  
  
Akane screamed.  
  
  
  
Ranma Satome was making the biggest decision of his life. He knelt before Xellas, the Beast Master. The unearthly beauty regarded him coolly and Ranma spoke.  
  
"Great Beast Master. I offer myself into your service. Make me Mazoku, if you wish. I ask only to kill the Ryuzoku."   
  
She didn't answer for a moment and Ranma heard his mother's voice in his mind. -Are you sure you want to do this, Ranma?-  
  
-You saw what they did to Akane! They tortured her and then just left her for dead. If she weren't immortal, that would have been a long and painful death. They will die for what they did to my home, to my family!-  
  
Xellas answered finally. "Very well. I will grant you wish. You will die as a mortal and be reborn as a Mazoku."  
  
-You can't really die, so I'm going to fiddle with things a bit, dear.- Ranma's mother told him. -This will hurt.-  
  
It did hurt. A lot.  
  
Ranma felt himself slide to the back of his mind.  
  
Ranma's body was slowly replaced. His hair turned purple and shortened into a neat, sharply cut style just above his shoulders. His bright blue eyes were now cold and pale lavender. The eyes of this new person closed and he smiled, still kneeling at the feet of Xellas.  
  
"You are Xellos, my priest and general of my army. The Ranma that you were is no more. Go and kill as you wish."  
  
Xellos stood and bowed to the Mazoku who thought she was his master.  
  
Xellos flew over the world, looking for targets. As he did, Ranma and Xellos had their first conversation.  
  
-Um, what's going on?- Ranma asked this new personality.   
  
-I'm not certain, but I'm sure mother had something to do with it. Ah, there's one.-  
  
Sure, enough, there was on the horizon, a golden Ryuzoku flying in lazy circles around a cloud. It looked so peaceful and gentle.  
  
Xellos landed on a plateau and raised a finger at it. A beam of light shot from his finger and killed the Ryuzoku instantly. The creature fell like a rock.  
  
"Got him!" Xellos raised a triumphant fist in the air and cheered for himself.  
  
Ranma was pleased to see the Ryuzoku die and he felt no shame about it.  
  
-We're going to have a devil of a time explaining this to everyone.- Ranma thought as Xellos shot down another Ryuzoku.  
  
-That's two! Don't worry about it. I'm sure they won't mind.- A third Ryuzoku appeared and Xellos raised his finger. "I'm going to like this lifestyle."  
  
So began the war of the Monster's Fall.  
  
  
End Flashback-  
  
  
  
Lina stared at Ranma with a new respect. "You're telling me that the Lord of Nightmares is your...mother?"  
  
"That's right. Oh, by the way, she wants to meet you all formally. Is Wednesday for tea good?"  
  
Everyone just stared.  
  
"So, you and Xellos are the same person?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"Sort of. We have different personalities and different bodies, but we share the same space. As Filia said, I'm just a human, but he's a Mazoku."  
  
"How's that possible?" Filia asked. You couldn't just divide a person like that.   
  
Ranma gave her a smile. "My mom is the Lord of Nightmares, remember?"  
  
"Oh. Yeah."  
  
"Should we be telling them everything?" Mousse asked. "That is sensitive information."  
  
Ranma gave him a look that said, don't be stupid. "They're family, most of them."  
  
This got everyone's attention. "What do you mean?" Zelgadis asked. "I thought you said Lina was your only daughter."  
  
"Yes, Lina is the only daughter I have by my female half. You, Zelgadis, are Ryoga's great grandson many times removed."  
  
Zelgadis looked at Ryoga who had tears in his eyes and suddenly jumped over the table and gloomped onto him. "My grandson!" Ryoga cried happily.  
  
"Get off me!" Zelgadis screamed, but he wasn't strong enough to budge the boy. Ryoga was nearly hysterical with happiness was strangling Zelgadis without realizing it.   
  
Finally, Ryoga let go and went passively back to his own side of the table. Zelgadis swore he heard Ryoga whisper something to Ranma about "a great sense of direction!"  
  
"And you, Amelia, are Shampoo's granddaughter, several times removed."  
  
Shampoo was also quite proud. "You is great Amazon, Amelia. No let others push you around, always speak your mind." She smiled at Amelia. "Long ago, Shampoo's daughter leave village to explore world. She meet prince of Seyruun and they marry. Now, you come back to us."  
  
Ranma's introductions were interrupted by Akane grumbling angrily. "Who's gone and ruined my sword?" She demanded, still examining the Sword of Light. "Who's been fiddling with it?!" She glared at everyone.  
  
"That's my sword!" Gourry protested.  
  
Akane's eyes landed on him and narrowed. "So it was you!" She stood up and shook the sword at him. "This is a delicate piece of machinery. You don't go shoving bits of metal into the main operating system! Do you have any idea how long it took me to make this thing? Three weeks and you'll just break it the way you're treating it!"  
  
"I didn't break it! It's a family heirloom!" Gourry declared.  
  
Everyone else just stared.   
  
"What?" Akane asked defensively, noticing that everyone was looking at her.  
  
"Well, we just all thought the dark Lords had created the Sword of Light." Lina told her.  
  
Akane snorted. "Those idiots? They couldn't light a fire without written instructions and pictures. They wanted some weapons so I made a few. This one, though, wasn't for the dark lords. This was created for my nephew, Gora. It was made when he decided he wanted to see the world."  
  
"How could you make something like that?" Lina asked. As far as she could tell, Akane was pure human, except for the fact that she was immortal.  
  
"I have a workshop that has all the tools I need."  
  
Lina got the sudden and terrible urge to see this workshop. It must have fantastic magic!  
  
"I wouldn't, if I were you." Ukyo said to Lina. "No one sees Akane's workshop."  
  
"Huh? What do you mean?"  
  
"In the thousands of years we've lived on this spot, no one but Akane has been in her workshop. She built it herself and I really don't think she's going to let you in."  
  
Lina considered just sneaking in during the night, but looked at Akane, now standing with the fire light behind her. Lina decided that she didn't want to fight with Akane any more that she had to.  
  
Akane seemed to instantly be in front of Gourry and peering up into his face. "Do you know anything about your family, boy?"  
  
"What? Why do you want to know?"  
  
"I believe you are my sister's descendant. You are my nephew, Gourry, a few times removed."  
  
Ryoga spoke up, recovered from his hysterical fit. "Are you sure, Akane? He really doesn't look anything like Kasumi."  
  
Akane was quiet as she looked at Gourry before she said. "Yes. He is my nephew." It seemed that she smiled from behind the mask. "You fight very well, for someone who is untrained. Come with me, and I'll give you a few lessons."  
  
Gourry gave Lina a helpless look as he was led away by his newly found aunt.  
  
"Gee," Lina said to Mousse. "Akane sure is...intense. Is she always like that?"  
  
Mousse smiled. "Actually, she used to be quite different. The Ryuzoku attack changed her quite a bit. She used to be so hot-tempered." He laughed slightly. "You never saw fury till you saw Akane in a rage. Now, she's quieter, almost cold. I believe she thinks a little more, now."  
  
As all this went on, Lina had watched as the boy, Ryoga, and Ukyo were moving closer to Ranma until they apparently couldn't control themselves.  
  
Ryoga was kissing Ranma's throat and Ukyo was rubbing his thigh suggestively. Ranma cleared his throat loudly and looked embarrassed. "Konatsu, could you take our guests to a place to rest. I think I'm going to be busy for a while."  
  
Lina and Zelgadis looked away, determined not to get involved with Xellos' personal life. Amelia looked shocked and a little confused. Filia looked like she would kill. Everyone knew she was jealous, even if she wouldn't admit it.  
  
Konatsu smiled and stood gracefully. "Of coarse, Ranma-kun." He looked at Lina's group. "Please follow me."  
  
Lina was just a little grumpy as she realized that this...man...her father, was more of a lady than she was. As they followed Konatsu out of the house Lina heard Ukyo's voice. "I almost forgot!"  
  
Ukyo ran out behind them and screamed at the top of her lungs, "LUNA! Get your tail over here, now!"  
  
Lina froze. "Did she just say...L...L...Luna?" The bloodsucking queen of hell?  
  
Lina's worst fears were confirmed when the all to familiar voice answered from a near by house. "Yes, momma?"  
  
Luna stuck her purple haired head out of a doorway and immediately saw Lina. Her eyes narrowed for a split second and Lina knew her sister wasn't happy.  
  
Lina shuddered and instinctually moved to stand more behind Konatsu, not caring that all her friends were watching her shiver with fear. It was the first time that Lina had noticed her sister's purple hair. Purple eyes. Just like...Xellos! Geeze! Xellos was Luna's father. Actually, that might explain a lot of Luna's personality.  
  
Luna suddenly smiled innocently and came over to where Ukyo waited on the porch of her home. Luna was, by Lina's opinion, very beautiful, but there was a sly look about her. Her purple hair was cut sharply just below her shoulders. Her figure, unlike Lina's, was perfect.  
  
Ukyo was unmoved by Luna's sunny smile. "Why did your sister come back to us uneducated?"  
  
Luna's smiled faltered slightly. "It's not my fault, momma! She ran away when she was twelve! I took care of her as best as I could."  
  
Ukyo looked at the shaking Lina, trying to be invisible behind Konatsu. "Then why's she so scared of you?"  
  
Luna looked surprised. "Scared? Of me? Don't be silly, momma. Lina loves me as much as I love her. Right Lina?"  
  
"Sure. Of coarse. Anything you say, Luna!" Lina smiled as brightly as she could. Anything so that her sister wouldn't be mad at her. "Er, what are you doing here, Luna?"  
  
"I'm just visiting relatives, Lina."  
  
Ukyo scowled. "The only reason we let you take Lina was because you promised to take care of her and teach her."  
  
"You let her take me away?" Lina asked, surprised. "Why?"  
  
Ukyo softened her tone for Lina. "Luna wanted to live on her own. That wasn't exactly acceptable, as she was only thirteen at the time. We couldn't change her mind and as we didn't want her to run away, we thought we'd trick her. We told her she could leave, but only if she was responsible enough to take care of a child. That night, when everyone was sleeping, she took you and ran away.  
  
We couldn't really do anything about it as we had made the rules, sort of. So we just came back every few months to keep an eye on the two of you. One time we came and you were gone. Ranma was NOT happy."  
  
She turned back to Luna who had been trying to sneak away and grabbed her ear.  
  
"Ohhhh, momma, that hurts!" Luna wailed and Lina's eyes grew wide.  
  
"It's supposed to! Come on!" Ukyo dragged Luna, the most powerful sorceress in the world, the knight of Cephied, into the house by the ear. Lina could hear the voices.  
  
"No! Momma, not that!"  
  
"You deserve so much more than what you're going to get."  
  
Lina heard a loud slap.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Luna cried.  
  
Luna came out of the house, her face red from crying, rubbing her sore backside. Lina's mouth dropped open. Just the fact that someone here had had the power and the nerve to give her horrible sister a spanking, made Lina want to believe that she was apart of this weird family.  
  
Luna didn't even look at Lina as she slunk away back into her house.  
  
Lina looked up to see Konatsu looking down at her. "Shall we go? The guest house is waiting for you."  
  
Lina smiled up at her father and wondered if she'd ever have curves like him. Maybe this would be all right, after all. You just had to get in the right frame of mind to live here.  
  
"Don't worry about Luna while you're here." Konatsu told her. "She's just visiting and she won't pick a fight with everyone watching. Especially not her mother."  
  
  
  
Three days later, they still hadn't seen Ranma or Xellos emerge from the house, while their mates came and went at various periods.  
  
At one point Ryoga had come out to find Zelgadis waiting for him. "Will you show me these springs of Jusenkyo?" Zelgadis asked his grandfather. "I would like to study them to find out if they can cure my curse."  
  
Ryoga put a paternal hand on Zelgadis' shoulder. "Sure I'll show you, but you have to promise to be careful. Jusenkyo is very dangerous."  
  
Zelgadis smiled, he could practically taste his cure. "Great! Which way do we go?"  
  
Ryoga hesitated for a moment. "This way. I think." He pointed west. "Or maybe it was this way." He turned directly around and pointed east. "No, it was definitely that way!" Ryoga marched north and Zelgadis followed and wondered if he should have asked Ranma instead.  
  
Akane could most often be seen with Gourry, giving him lessons in using the Sword of Light. Lina, as she sat near the practice field, had never thought to see any better swordsman than Gourry. Seeing Akane, though, made her change her mind.  
  
The girl in black was more than a match for Lina's blonde friend. Even unarmed, Akane managed to defeat Gourry every time. When she used one of the special swords she'd created, Akane was unstoppable. She wasn't just doing it to embarrass him, though. Each battle that they had, Akane ended the lesson by showing Gourry what he'd done wrong and how to fix the problem.  
  
After a few days, Akane began teaching Gourry her style of fighting, unarmed combat, Anything Goes Martial Arts. Lina thought it was fantastic the way Akane could fight, but Gourry, good as he was, was no match for her. Lina was wondering if Akane would give her some lessons when Amelia came to sit beside her on the grass.  
  
"Finished with Shampoo, then?" Lina asked her younger friend.  
  
Amelia smiled. "Yes. She's a great queen! I just love it here. They have a different view of justice, but they believe in it very strongly." She seemed quite taken with the purple haired matriarch. "Have you seen Mr. Zelgadis lately?"  
  
Lina thought. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen him since Ryoga took him to see the archery range. That was two days ago. I wonder where they could have gotten to?"   
  
*******  
  
"Where are we?" Zelgadis asked his grandfather, Ryoga.  
  
Ryoga was standing very still in the middle of the room and didn't look very happy. In fact, he looked down right terrified. The room appeared, to Zelgadis, to be a laboratory of some kind. It was very advanced and he couldn't make heads or tails of anything in the room. What had gotten Ryoga so scared?  
  
Ryoga grabbed Zelgadis' arm with his iron grip. "We have to get out of here. Now!" Zelgadis noticed his hand was shaking.  
  
"Why? Do you know where we are?"  
  
Ryoga began giggling insanely. "I'll tell you all about it later, now we have to get away before she finds us."  
  
"Before who finds us?"  
  
The lights suddenly flashed on and focused on a very small girl with long, spiky pink hair. She was dressed in odd clothes, some sort of white uniform, like a nurse's and had her arms cross her chest. "He means me." The girl said in a cheerful, but somehow dangerous voice. "Hello, Ryoga. It's been a long time." She snapped on a long rubber glove. "Its time for those samples I wanted."  
  
Ryoga screamed like a little girl and tried to charge through a wall. It didn't work and Ryoga ended up unconcience on the floor.  
  
The girl walked over to Zelgadis, who was beginning to get a bad feeling about all this, and said, "So, you're Zelgadis?"  
  
"How do you know my name?"  
  
The girl laughed madly. "Because I am Washu, the greatest genius in the Universe! I know everything." She took another step to Zelgadis and gave him a sunny smile. "You can call me little Washu!"  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
She looked at him closer and seemed to hit on an idea. "How would you like to help me with an experiment, Zelgadis?"  
  
Zelgadis looked down at Ryoga, still asleep on the floor. "well, we really have to be going actually."  
  
"I think I misspoke." Washu lost the look of an innocent child and Zelgadis was definitely afraid. "You WILL help me with an experiment."  
  
Zelgadis gulped.  
  
*******  
  
Amelia laughed. "I wouldn't worry. They couldn't have gotten lost in the village."  
  
"I wouldn't bet on it. I've heard some stories about Ryoga. He gets lost very easily."  
  
They both turned to find Filia standing behind them. She looked very depressed. "Apparently, word has spread that I am a Ryuzoku and no one is being very friendly."   
  
Lina and Amelia both pretended they didn't see the tear run down Filia's face. She was a very proud girl and wouldn't like anyone to see her cry.  
  
"What do you mean?" Lina asked, watching Gourry try to defend against Akane. He was trying very hard, but it wasn't doing much good. She looked back at Filia and noticed an awful smell.  
  
Filia ran a hand through her hair and it came out sticky with some kind of gray sludge. "They threw something on me...and said some very...rude things..." She sniffled and Lina saw her friends hands were shaking. This must have upset Filia very much to have her in this state.  
  
Lina and Amelia jumped up and walked behind Filia, to see what was in her hair. She growled. You couldn't see it from the front, but all down the back of Filia's beautiful long hair and down the back of her pink dress, brown/gray slime was mixed in. It plastered her hair and her dress right to the skin. It also smelled like pig dung.  
  
Lina was nearly shaking herself, but not with embarrassment like Filia was. How dare anyone treat her friend like this?! Filia hadn't even been alive in the War of the Monster's Fall! They couldn't blame her for this!  
  
"What's going on here?"  
  
The three of them were startled by Ranma's voice. Filia finally burst into tears and ran away.  
  
Ranma looked very confused as he watched her leave. "What's that stuff all down her back?"  
  
Lina scowled at her supposed mother. "One of your people apparently threw pig dung on her."  
  
Ranma's eyes grew wide and then narrowed.  
  
-Go see if she's all right!- Xellos demanded in Ranma's mind.  
  
-What do you care?- Ranma said. But he thought of Filia's tears and moved to follow her when Lina stepped in his way.  
  
"I think Filia might not want to see you, right now." She told him in an acid tone. "Your people have done enough."  
  
"I had nothing to do with that!" Ranma defended himself. "Those responsible for this will be punished. No one insults my guests."  
  
  
They found Filia a short time later, in a tub of warm soapy water with Shampoo silently washing Filia's hair. Apparently, Shampoo and Ukyo had found her and now Ukyo was sitting in front of Filia chattering pleasantly about trivial things that weren't very important. She gave no sign that she saw them enter. They could hear Filia sniff every few minutes. As they entered the house, Shampoo turned to them sharply and glared at Ranma.  
  
"You is OK for a minute, Filia?" Shampoo asked brightly.  
  
"Yes. Thank you." Filia's voice was very soft.  
  
Shampoo took them all outside and crossed her arms over her chest. "I no like how guest is treated. What people think of Amazon hospitality? You stay with Filia. I have work to do." Shampoo marched off with a determine pace.  
  
"Where's she going?" Amelia asked Ranma.  
  
"Shampoo is the matriarch. It's her duty to punish whoever did this to Filia. Trust me, you wouldn't want to be in their shoes when she finds them." Ranma said ominously.   
  
"I thought no one here like the Ryuzoku's." Lina said.   
  
"Doesn't matter what race she is or whether or not we like her. Filia is a guest of this village. This matter has brought dishonor to us all."  
  
  
Lina never exactly found out what happened to the people who humiliated Filia, but she did she three young women running around the village. They ran for three days non-stop under Shampoo's watchful gaze. When they were allowed to stop running, Mousse had to be called to them because their feet had been worn to bloody ribbons.   
  
Apparently, discourtesy was severely discouraged.  
  
  
Lina watched a young boy run into the village at an astounding speed. He actually left trails of dust behind him and he ran straight to Shampoo's house. Curious, Lina followed and caught the tail end of the conversation.  
  
"I knew this would happen." Ukyo said sounding irritated. "Can't they just leave us alone? They don't even know what magic they sense, yet they have to have it."  
  
"Did you expect any less from the Ryuzoku?" Konatsu asked in his soft voice. "They have few morals and they think of humans as some kind of child race that must be protected form itself. This Elder of theirs is the worst, though. He doesn't want to protect anyone. He's just power hungry."  
  
"Well," Ranma said in a resigned tone. "I guess we'd better get everyone out of the village. The messenger says the Ryuzoku are only a day's journey away. We're going to have to hurry. This is going to be different than the last attack, if I have anything to say about it." He said darkly. Lina remembered the story about how Akane was so terribly injured and knew they all felt they had a score to settle with the Ryuzoku.  
  
"You come in, Lina. We is waiting for you." Shampoo called and Lina blushed.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop." Lina apologize coming into the house.  
  
Konatsu shook his finger at her. "Yes, you did mean to. Please don't lie, Lina."  
  
"Yes, dad."  
  
"We is being attacked, Lina." Shampoo continued. "You wish to fight or leave?"  
  
It was a very blunt question and Lina didn't know how to answer. "I have to talk with everyone." She said. "It wouldn't be right to make a decision for us without asking everyone."  
  
"As you wish." Shampoo answered.  
  
Lina turned to leave, but then remembered something. "Do you know where Zelgadis or Ryoga is?"   
  
The whole group groaned and Ranma asked, "Did P-Chan go for a walk again?"  
  
At just this moment, Ryoga and Zelgadis ran into the house and slammed the door behind them. Both were wild eyed and panting for breath, like they just run a hundred miles.  
  
"There you are." Lina grabbed Zelgadis by the arm and started to pull him away. "We have to talk with everyone."  
  
Zelgadis followed, stuttering something about the pink haired demoness.  
  
Ranma heard this and looked at Ryoga. "Washu again?"  
  
Ryoga nodded dumbly and collapsed at the table. "She said she just wanted a few samples." Ryoga began trembling. "I don't ever want to see that...maniac again!"  
  
Ranma laughed and slapped his friend on the back. "That's no way to talk about your sister, man."  
  
"Don't talk to me about that!" Ryoga demanded. "She is NOT my sister. The blood tests were wrong! They had to be!"  
  
"Man, she has pictures of you from when you were six. You just got lost one day and ended up in our world."  
  
"Ranma is right." Ukyo said. "She's just glad she found you. Did you meet her daughter this time?"  
  
"Yeah. She's as much of a hellcat as her mother. The crazy girl burst into the lab and accidentally set us free. We ran as fast as we could."  
  
Zelgadis was still shaking and mumbling incoherently when they left Shampoo's house to find Gourry and Amelia.  
  
  
"What do we want to do?" Lina asked the all-important question. They were all sitting by the springs of Jusenkyo, as they didn't want anyone to hear their conversation. The villagers rarely came to this place as they thought it was cursed and now everyone was to busy evacuating.  
  
Gourry said, "I'm staying. Auntie will need my help. I don't want to leave her alone."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Auntie?"  
  
Gourry smiled proudly. "She said I can call her auntie Akane, if I want to."  
  
"Right. How about you, Amelia?"  
  
"I just have to stay. It wouldn't be just to leave family in times of crisis. I don't want great-grandmother to fight without me to help her."  
  
"Great-grandmother?"  
  
Amelia was also proud. "She wants me to call her that. It seems really important to her for some reason."  
  
"Zelgadis?"  
  
Zelgadis was still sweating nervously from the little trip he'd taken with Ryoga. He wouldn't tell them what had happened or who this Washu person was.  
  
"I want to stay to find out more about these springs." He gestured to the cursed springs. "They might be the cure I'm looking for." He looked at them intensely. "I have to find out, even if Ryoga said I shouldn't."  
  
"Why wouldn't he want you to try?" Amelia asked.  
  
"He said no one's ever mapped out the springs. No one knows exactly which spring does what. He said I could turn into anything from a cat to a pig or a duck. He thinks I should just be satisfied with what I have."  
  
"What about you, Filia?"  
  
Everyone looked at the cross Ryuzoku priestess. She was sitting on her knees with her hands in her laps. "I simply can't believe that my people are attacking an innocent village just because Xellos or Ranma says so! I certainly can't take part in fighting them."  
  
"Well, I sort of expected you to say that." Lina said.  
  
"What about you, Miss Lina?" Amelia asked.   
  
"I really don't want to fight a horde of Ryuzoku. But, I suppose if you all are staying, I might as well."  
  
"You'd better stay to fight." A voice growled.  
  
Everyone looked at Luna who'd just appeared a few feet behind them.  
  
"They are our family, Lina. Don't abandon them."  
  
Lina scowled, her good mood gone. "Why not? They had nothing to do with me. You stole me away in the middle of the night and they didn't try to get me back. Why should I care what happens to them?"  
  
Luna's eyes turned red and she yelled. "Why the hell do you think Xellos has been following you all this time, brat?! He's been keeping an eye on you to protect you. They all risked a lot by helping you all those times." Luna stepped up to Lina and looked down at her little sister. "Besides, they are our blood."  
  
With that Luna turned and walked calmly away.  
  
  
  
Lina informed Ranma and the others that they had decided to stay and help (except for Filia) in the battle and Ranma wasn't very happy. "I've been thinking about it, Lina and I really don't think I want you to fight."  
  
"What do you mean? I'm a great fighter!"  
  
"I know, it's just that..."   
  
Shampoo interrupted. "Shampoo think Ranma need to let Xellos out. You is to protective of Lina. She is Amazon woman, Ranma. Can handle herself in battle."  
  
"I know she can fight." Ranma said. "I was with them all this time, remember! But, she...she might get hurt."  
  
Ryoga put a hand on Ranma's shoulder. "I think Xellos should come out to fight, Ranma."  
  
Ranma angrily walked away from Ryoga. "I can fight! I know I haven't been able to train much since Xellos was born, but I still want to fight!"  
  
"We know, but there are something's that might have to be done and when the battle is over, you may hate yourself for it. Xellos won't. He has no conscience. Let him do this, for your own sake."  
  
In his mind Ranma heard an eager, -Yes, let me out! I want to play!-  
  
Ranma struggled with himself before finally grumbling, "All right, fine! You never let me fight anymore. Always keep all the fun for yourself!"  
  
Ranma faded into Xellos who smiled. "Good to be back."  
  
  
  
The Ryuzoku were approaching at a terrible pace. Every moment they drew closer and Filia was very confused. Was Ranma telling the truth about her people? "This isn't right." She whispered.   
  
Lina heard her and answered, "Well, we'll just have to do something about it, won't we?"  
  
Filia hesitated a moment and looked at the handful of people preparing to defend their home. The innocent people of the village had been sent to another village where they could hide in safety.  
  
"Yes, I will." She made up her mind and put her hands to the large jewel on her chest. Instantly she transformed into her Ryuzoku form. You've never seen a cuter Ryuzoku.  
  
Lina screamed, watching her friend fly to the enemy.  
  
"Filia! You moron! I didn't mean for you go alone, I meant we fight as a team!"  
  
But it was to late and Filia was to far away to hear Lina's tantrum.  
  
"I suppose we should go help her." Lina turned to see Xellos watching her. "I certainly wouldn't trust the Ryuzoku."  
  
"Shampoo go, too." Shampoo jumped down from the high wall. "No one hurt Amazon woman."  
  
"But, Filia isn't an Amazon." Amelia pointed out.  
  
"Not yet." Shampoo smirked mysteriously and Xellos started to sweat.  
  
  
  
Filia flew, unaware that help was on the way, until she met the war party. The leader was her master, the high priest of the Fire Dragon God.  
  
"Elder," Filia said in her most humble tone. "It's surprising to see you here."  
  
"I wasn't expecting you here, either, Filia." Elder said. "Perhaps you should leave, though. We are on an important mission. There is a dangerous force nearby and we must eliminate it or capture it."  
  
"Do you know what you're looking for?"  
  
"No. Only that it is near this area."  
  
"Elder, may I suggest you turn to human form. I'm sure you didn't know, but there is a village near here, and I'm afraid they feel a little threatened by a flight of dragons approaching." Please, Filia thought, don't let Xellos be right.  
  
"Filia, it is those people we must get the magic from. It is most dangerous and if humans have it, they won't be able to control it. We will protect the human's from themselves."  
  
Filia knew he was lying. She didn't know how she knew, but she did know. He was lying to her.  
  
"Please, Elder. I know this is a war party. No one in the village is a threat to the world; so there is no need for all this."  
  
Elder finally shook his head. "I see you know more than you're letting on, Filia. We will attack for the magic. Go, Filia. You are no warrior and you don't belong here. There is powerful magic and I will have it for our people."  
  
Filia's mind snapped.  
  
"RWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!" She screamed and laser shot out of her mouth. "Xellos was telling the truth! You attacked long ago. You killed all those people all the children who couldn't escape."  
  
Filia went on rampage, her temper was magnificent, and just shot in all directions.  
  
Elder took the opportunity. "Kill her! The Mazoku has control of her mind, you all heard she is listening to the words of the Beast Master's priest. Attack!"  
  
Filia, though impressive when angry, was no match, for more than a hundred golden Ryuzoku warriors. She was overwhelmed and found herself battling for her life.  
  
One lucky shot got her in the wing and tore right through it. Filia screamed in pain and couldn't keep herself in flight. She hit the ground with a hard thud.  
  
Suddenly, she felt a dark presence beside her head. "Just relax, Miss Filia." Xellos said. "This is my favorite part of battle." Xellos held out his staff and a beam of light shot out, killing one of the warriors in a glorious blaze of fire.  
  
The Ryuzoku fled quickly, seeing Xellos, their most feared enemy. Xellos watched them leave, considering what he should do.  
  
-What's to think about?- Ranma demanded. -Go after them! Kill them!-  
  
-Really, you should learn to think first, Ranma. It would be better to help Filia and just kill them when they come back. That way, we don't have to chase them everywhere.-  
  
Ranma muttered under his breath, but couldn't think of a good argument.  
  
Lina arrived and was yelling at Filia. "Well, change back human! How can we get you back like that?" She was scared that her friend had been killed when they were just getting there and saw Filia falling to the ground. She was taking out that fear on Filia.  
  
Filia did as she was told and Lina was shocked at the horrible injury to her arm. Filia's arm was burned nearly black, as if it had been left in a fire for several long minutes.  
  
Xellos carried her back to the village, neither of them said anything. Shampoo walked behind them with Lina. She was scowling, thinking. The village had seen so many battles. This was going to be a big one.   
  
They took her to Mousse who insisted on privacy while he worked on her. Xellos waited with everyone else outside the door until Filia came out with her arm bandaged and in a sling. She refused to meet their eyes and just muttered, "I need to take a walk."  
  
Lina stayed to talk with Mousse. He seemed like such a gentleman and Lina wasn't really certain that he should be here when a war was coming. Surely he should have gone with the other non-fighters.  
  
When she told him this, Mousse actually laughed. "There are no non-fighters in any Amazon village, Lina. We are all trained from birth to be exceptional fighters."  
  
"Then why don't you fight? I've never seen you do anything even mildly violent, I think you should leave before the battle."  
  
Mousse patted her head. "That's sweet of you to worry for me, Lina, but I will be taking part in the battle, also. When I was mortal, I earned the title of master of hidden weapons. I still retain that title."  
  
Lina hardly believed this nice guy could be a fighter.  
  
Mousse seemed to see her doubt and pulled his hands into his long sleeves. "Do you want me to prove myself to you, Lina?"  
  
Lina really didn't want to fight, but it would be better for him to get hurt a little by her than die when the Ryuzoku attacked. It was for his own good.  
  
Suddenly, Mousse lashed his hands out and Lina barely moved in time for several long chains shot out of Mousse's sleeves and imbedded themselves in the wall behind her. Lina's eyes were very wide and her face was twitching. She certainly hadn't expected that.  
  
Mousse smiled and gave his arms a short jerk making all the chains go back into his sleeves.  
  
Lina looked at the devastated wall behind her and then glared at Mousse. With a scowl, she marched up to him and grabbed his sleeves. She expected to see some sort of trick. She'd never seen any magic like this, but it had to be magic!   
  
Mousse let her look into his sleeves, but there was nothing there except his arms. Lina looked up at his face and then into the sleeves again. Nothing.  
  
"All right, how did you do that? What spell did you use? I could use something like that."  
  
"There is no magic involved in this art, Lina."  
  
"Yeah, right. Then how did you do that?"  
  
Mousse's smile widened. "Skill!"  
  
Lina stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Fine. Then what about my...my father, Konatsu? He's very gentle. Certainly he shouldn't be in a battle."  
  
Mousse finished cleaning up. "Konatsu wouldn't miss the battle for all the world. He is a very skilled ninga. The best, in fact."  
  
"Ninga? What's that? Ranma, er...Xellos called him that before."  
  
Mousse sighed. "I shouldn't be surprised that you've never heard of the ninga. They're not widely spread these days. When we were young, the ninga were the most respected assassins and bodyguards in the world. Now, there are only a few who practice that art and Konatsu is the only master of it." Mousse looked at her closely. "It's a pity that you didn't stay in the village, he probably would have taken you as his heir and made you the next master."  
  
"I wish I knew more about him." Lina mumbled to herself.  
  
"Then why don't you go and talk to him?" Mousse suggested as he pointed outside. There was Konatsu, walking down the road wearing a very tight black outfit. Lina found herself, once again, in the strange position of being jealous of her father's body. That just didn't seem right.  
  
Lina flashed a smile at Mousse and ran out to find her father.  
  
"Hey, Konatsu!" Lina called and the tall woman...er, man turned. He smiled and waited for Lina to catch up. "I just wanted to talk to you."  
  
"I'd love to. You can call me, dad, if you want to." Konatsu suggested, but Lina hesitated uneasily. "Do I make you uncomfortable, Lina?"  
  
"Well," Lina didn't really know what to say. She didn't want to hurt his feeling, but...  
  
"Its all right." Konatsu patted her shoulder. "I understand. It takes people a while to get used to me. Still, I'm glad to have you home, Lina. It just wasn't the same watching you all these years. We didn't want to upset your life anymore than necessary, though."  
  
It was at this time that they both saw Filia sitting on the edge of a large water fountain. Her head was bowed and Lina knew she should go cheer her friend up. Konatsu touched her shoulder before she could move.  
  
"I think she's in good hands." Konatsu pointed to where Xellos had appeared behind her back.  
  
Lina groaned. "You don't know Filia very well. Xellos will be the last person she wants to see now."  
  
Konatsu shrugged elegantly. "I don't know about that. Let him try."  
  
Lina followed Konatsu into a nearby house doubtfully.  
  
  
  
Xellos examined the golden haired Ryuzoku carefully. He twisted his staff in his hands, uncertainly. Why was he here?  
  
-You're here because you need to cheer her up.- Ranma's voice reminded him.  
  
-But why? You know I'm no good at these things. Lina should do this.-  
  
-I want you to do it. Lina's getting to know her father. Just cheer her up a little.-  
  
Filia wasn't moving and still didn't seem to see him. Strange, she must be really upset if her senses didn't alert her to his evil presence.  
  
Xellos got stubborn. -Why should I? She's nothing to me.-  
  
Ranma growled at Xellos. -You should because if you don't she's going to kill herself!-  
  
This got Xellos' attention. -Kill herself? Why?-  
  
-Gee, I don't know. Maybe because she's just been branded a traitor by her own people, attacked by the person she considered her father, and been publicly humiliated all in one day. Just a thought.-  
  
Xellos called on all his courage and cleared his throat. "Filia."  
  
There was no response.  
  
"Filia?" He tried again.  
  
The girl's shoulders slumped a little more. "What is it, Xellos?"  
  
"Er..." He had no idea what to say to her. -Any ideas?- He asked Ranma.  
  
-Nope, you're on your own.-  
  
Filia turned slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well? What did you want?"  
  
Xellos considered and finally smiled at her. "Do you dye your hair?"  
  
Filia fell off the edge of the fountain. "What?"  
  
Xellos was quite proud of his question. It was short notice after all, so he happily repeated his question.  
  
Filia stared at him in disbelief and then put a hand to her forehead. "I'm an outcast from every society on the planet, I'm facing a horrible war against my own people, plus my arm is so severely burned that I won't be able to fly for three months at least, and you want to know if I dye my hair?!" While she was speaking, Filia's voice rose to a higher pitch and Xellos knew exactly what she was going to do. At least he thought he did.  
  
Instead of pulling out her mace, Filia seemed to collapse around herself. She picked herself up off the ground and sat on the stone fountain again. "Go away, Xellos. I don't want to play your games, right now." Her voice sounded defeated.  
  
"Does that mean you'll play my games later?"  
  
Filia didn't answer.  
  
Xellos scratched his head and frowned. He really didn't know how to handle this sort of situation.  
  
-Just distract her.- Ranma suggested, finally taking pity on his other self.  
  
Many images of him distracting Filia flashed through Xellos' mind and he heard Ranma gag.  
  
-Xellos, don't you dare to touch her!- Ranma shouted at his counter part.  
  
Xellos smirked at Ranma who was, basically, helpless. -What are you going to do about it?- He asked sweetly. Filia did look so temptingly vulnerable, just sitting there with her back to him again.  
  
Ranma growled and pulled out his secret weapon. -I'll tell Filia what really happened to her missing panties.-  
  
Xellos' face went white. -You wouldn't.-  
  
-Try me. Really, though, that was sick, you know. Very, very sick. How twisted can you be?-  
  
-Very.- Xellos answered. -But, please don't tell her. I'm saving that for a special occasion.-  
  
-I think I'm going to be ill. How can you do that to her. You know she's going to kill you when she finds out.-  
  
-She'll try.-  
  
-Honestly.- Ranma sighed. -Every time I get in control, now. I feel them. I just can't believe you ATE her panties!-  
  
Xellos giggled. -They tasted yummy, too!-  
  
-Agggggggg!!!!- Ranma screamed. -I don't want to know! I just don't want to hear anymore!-  
  
-You brought the subject up.- Xellos couldn't resist baiting Ranma just a bit more. -I think I'll try her lacy ones next.-  
  
-No way! There is no way I'm letting you do that again. Akane still thinks I need therapy from the last time you snuck into her room! For Kami's sake, just get her mind off things for a little while.-  
  
I think I can handle that, Xellos thought. He suddenly grabbed Filia by the shoulders and spun her around so she was facing him. Her mouth was partly open in surprise and Xellos smiled devilishly. He kissed her on the mouth, a long, wet, passionate kiss.  
  
When he finally let her go, Filia was panting for breath, stunned.   
  
-You wanted her distracted, how was that?- Xellos smugly asked Ranma.  
  
Ranma groaned. -Do you really want me to answer that?-  
  
Filia's expression slowly changed. "Namagomi!" She screamed and whipped out her mace.  
  
Xellos giggled and ran from her, laughing all the way. -That's not exactly what I meant, but it worked.- Ranma commented.  
  
Xellos was having to much fun dodging Filia's mace to answer.  
  
  
  
None of them knew that Ranma and Xellos' mates were all watching form various spots around the village.   
  
Ukyo nudged Shampoo and said, "Don't they look cute together?"  
  
Shampoo watched the Ryuzoku priestess with her mace and fondly remembered her days of courting Ranma. She smiled slightly and nodded in agreement. "Shampoo think she like dragon girl being in family." It had taken a little while to get used to the idea, but they had to admit Filia was very likable, if a little naïve. She would fit right in.  
  
  
  
The Ryuzoku were coming. The news spread quickly but it wasn't the panic Lina would have expected from human looking at the Ryuzoku attacking. There were quiet preparations. Children were given weapons to defend themselves and bundled up to journey with most of the rest of the village. Shampoo was sending everyone either into the forest to hide or to the nearest Amazon village. If some of them died, some would survive to carry on the bloodline.  
  
The only ones who were staying were Xellos/Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyo, Konatsu, Ryoga, and Mousse. Lina had also decided to stay. Everyone in her party wanted to stay to help family, so she just couldn't let them fight without her. Lina also found out that Luna had chosen to stay.   
  
Luna looked down at her little sister and gave a familiar smirk. "I'm half Mazoku, you know. I just can't pass up a chance to be in a battle. It goes against my nature."  
  
Filia had, unexpectedly, chosen to fight with them, also. Even with her arm in a sling, Filia was a force to be reckoned with. Her laser breath was devastating.   
  
Akane reached up and pulled the mask away from her face and took the hood off her head. Lina gasped. She was completely bald, and her whole head was covered in scars. Akane heard Lina's reaction and looked at her.  
  
"This is why the Ryuzoku are forbidden in our village. In the first attack I was much weaker than I am now and I was left for dead like this. Believe it or not, I am healing very slowly. In time, I will look as I used to."  
  
Akane kept talking as she pulled the black tunic over her head and left her with only a simple white undershirt that left her arms bare. They were corded with scars and her hands were terrible without the gloves. She had no fingernails and that seemed to make it all the worse. The martial artist then took off her boots and waited for the war barefoot.  
  
"I am far more powerful now." Akane said softly. "Don't worry, Lina. Ranma didn't want you to get hurt and we won't let that happen. Stay close to us if the battle gets to great."  
  
Everyone took up their positions and waited for the enemy to come to them. Lina was very surprised to see that around each of the Amazons' there was a glowing colored light. Ryoga's was green and Shampoo's was pink. Konatsu glowed with blue energy and Ukyo had a powerful yellow energy. Akane, though, was surrounded with black energy. It was so powerful that Lina felt it like a physical wall.  
  
Gourry had the Sword of Light out and was showing off a new trick Akane had shown him. The Sword of light now had two glowing blades coming out of both ends of the hilt. It was a lethal looking thing, especially with Gourry's sweet, innocent grin, like a child with a new toy.  
  
Lina heard several shouts of, "Shi Shi Hokadon!", "Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken", and "Mokou Takabisha".  
  
The battle was awful. The Amazon warriors were often wounded, but they always got up and went on with the battle. Lina helped with her more spectacular spells and the others more than held up their end of the battle.  
  
It was terrible.  
  
  
As he floated high in the air and was having a fabulous time killing Ryuzoku, Xellos heard a familiar voice whisper in his ear. "Come to me, my priest." Xellas said with her deep throaty voice. "I have an errand for you."  
  
Xellos looked around at the destruction and replied, "I'm a little busy right now. Can it wait?"  
  
Xellos could feel the Mazoku's disapproval. "I told you to come back. You can kill Ryuzoku later."  
  
Xellos knew his family would survive the battle if he left, but they might lose the village or even Jusenkyo. Besides, Lina and the others were down there and they certainly weren't immortal. He had to stay.  
  
"Xellos? Are you listening to." Her voice abruptly was silenced.   
  
-Did you do that?- Xellos asked Ranma.  
  
-Yep. I can't stand the sound of her voice.-  
  
-She's not going to be happy with me, you know.-  
  
-We can't leave.- Ranma said firmly. -Let the old hag scream her head off, you know we won't die. We'll go see what she wants later.-  
  
Xellos agreed that this was the best option. Xellas could be such a shrew sometimes.  
  
At the end, the Ryuzoku had been driven off and the forest had been littered with the carcasses of the dead creatures. Had they not been immortal, the Amazon warriors would have been wiped out in the first few minutes, the Ryuzoku had been more than surprised to see apparently dead humans rise up to fight again.  
  
Now, they leaned on each other, limping back to the village. It was untouched, this time. They had been able to lead the war party away from the village, Jusenkyo, and where the children were hiding in the forest.   
  
Lina had her arm around Gourry for support, as she'd broken her ankle in the battle. The village was eerily silent.  
  
Xellos suddenly stiffened.  
  
Lina looked at him and wondered what was wrong, but Akane sensed something wrong, also. She left Ukyo's side and ran into the village ahead of everyone. Lina wanted to follow, but she couldn't even walk on her ankle. They followed Akane slowly, but as fast as they could manage.  
  
Akane had led them to Shampoo's house. She was standing in the open doorway.   
  
"What is it?" Lina asked. "Is someone there?"  
  
Akane suddenly shouted with happiness and ran into the house.  
  
Xellos looked in after her and smiled. "Mom!" He ran in after Akane.  
  
Lina and her friends followed and saw the person they were so excited to see. She was a beautiful lady with brown hair done up on her head. She smiled graciously and welcomed them all after giving Xellos a hug and a kiss. She did the same for each of the Amazon warriors.  
  
"Good morning." She said to Lina. "I hope this wasn't to much of a surprise. I did tell Xellos that I was coming for a visit. I hope he remembered to tell you." She said this after seeing Lina's stunned look.  
  
"Well, yeah, he did tell us, but, to be honest, I didn't expect the Lord of Nightmares to look like...well..."  
  
The lady laughed pleasantly. "Did you expect me to have three heads and horns?"  
  
"I don't know what I really expected." Lina admitted. "Are you really the Lord of Nightmares?"  
  
Nadoka smiled indulgently and touched Lina's cheek with a soft hand. Lina's eyes went wide. Her body was flooded with the same sensation of unstoppable power as it had been when the Lord of Nightmares had invaded her body before. It was power but also of warmth and safety.   
  
When Nadoka took her hand away Lina shuttered and hugged herself. "Right. I believe you, ma'am."  
  
They settled into the tea party Nadoka, the Lord of Nightmares, had prepared as if they weren't all still filthy from the battle. They were covered in blood and injured, but no one seemed to notice. Why would you think about such insignificant things when you were in the presence of a goddess?  
  
It was all going very nicely until Xellos let Ranma come out. Apparently, they used visits from their mother to argue and complain.  
  
"But, mom," Ranma whined. "He won't do anything I like to do! He's always off doing strange and hentai things. He won't fight at all!"  
  
Ranma faded into Xellos so he could speak. "I'm just having fun. All he wants to do is fight! How dull. Besides, he's only upset because Akane is better than he is now."  
  
Ranma came back angry. "She's only better because you don't give us the chance to practice! Ever since we became the same person, I have to keep running after that Xellas witch. Ugg, she's worse than Xellos. You should hear some of the things Xellos keeps doing or trying to do."  
  
"I'm just trying to broaden your horizon." Xellos defended himself. "You have a one track mind, Ranma. Fight, fight, fight! That's all you ever think about."  
  
"I don't want my horizon's broadened!"  
  
Nadoka took another sip of her tea and nodded absently. "That's nice, boys. Now, Akane, I've heard that I have another grandchild on the way. Is that right?"  
  
Akane nodded and gave a happy blush. She put a hand to her stomach and Nadoka beamed. "How lovely. I'll have to come back in a few months."  
  
Xellos, irritated that he was no longer the center of his mother's attention turned his eyes to Filia. Her arm was still in a sling, but she was staring at Nadoka with a small smile. This was quite the privilege for the young priestess, a meeting she never had thought possible.  
  
"Really, Filia, you should take more care of your appearance, you know." Xellos commented slyly.  
  
Filia didn't even look at him but replied. "We were just in a battle, fool. How do you expect me to look?"  
  
"Don't mind me, Filia. I'm enjoying the view." He moved to stand behind her. "The back of your dress is all ripped up and I just love the little hearts on your panties."  
  
Filia blushed burning red and was instantly on her feet with her dress raised so she could get at the mace that was strapped to her thigh.  
  
"Filia, dear." Nadoka sipped her tea, but looked at the blonde girl disapprovingly. "Don't raise you dress so high in public. It's not very lady like."  
  
Filia looked down at herself and realized just how much she was showing every time she reached for her mace. The dragon priestess blushed again and lowered her skirt with a sheepish smile at Nadoka.  
  
"As for you." She looked at Xellos. The Mazoku obediently went to her and held out his hand. Nadoka slapped it gently. "Don't embarrass your guests. Do you want people to think you were raised by wild animals?"  
  
Xellos smirked. "Ranma told me all about Pop. I think we'd have turned out better if we had been raised by wild animals."  
  
Nadoka shrugged. "Be that as it may, you need to be more polite."  
  
Xellos smiled. "As you wish."  
  
A sudden howl caught everyone's attention. At the doorway of the house there stood a large black wolf with its fierce teeth bared. "Xellos, I told you to come home!"  
  
Xellas!  
  
Xellos stood and looked at her warily. "I was coming, mistress. There were just something's to do."  
  
The wolf shifted into the form of a beautiful woman. She looked very angry. "You will come when you are commanded, Xellos. I will not stand for this attitude from you."  
  
Still trying to salvage the situation, Xellos said, "Of coarse, mistress. I was in error. Please forgive me." He began to bow, but a whip suddenly appeared in Xellas' hand.  
  
"I will forgive you, Xellos, but only after your education." She cracked the whip meaningfully above his head. "You will not disobey me again!"  
  
"I think not."  
  
Xellas looked at Nadoka in surprise. "What?"  
  
The gentle lady stood with a stern look on her face. "You will not hurt him."  
  
Xellas laughed. "And who are you?"  
  
Nadoka smiled sweetly. "I don't believe we've been introduced. I am the Lord of Nightmares." Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "I am also Xellos' mother. You will not harm him."  
  
Xellas began to laugh and was surprised when Nadoka's hand touched her face, as she had done to Lina. Xellas stood there a moment and a look of terror grew on her face, but she didn't seem to be able to move.   
  
Nadoka said to her softly. "I am showing you exactly what I'm going to do to you if you don't leave this village right now. You will never show your face here again. If you ever interfere with my family again I will demonstrate precisely why I am called the Lord of Nightmares. Do you understand?"  
  
Xellas' answer, when Nadoka released her, was to turn into her wolf form and run as fast as she could.  
  
Everyone stared after her. "What did you show her?" Lina asked, curious.  
  
Nadoka looked at her. "Do you really want to know?"  
  
Lina looked at Nadoka carefully and saw, strangely, stars and planets in the woman's eyes. She saw fear and pain, pleasure and joy, along with hate and love. Other things were there that Lina didn't understand and didn't want to. Nadoka was more powerful than even Lina could imagine.   
  
"Maybe not."   
  
  
  
They left several days later. They still had the quest to finish, after all. The amazons supplied them with plenty of food and new clothes to get them through the quest. Lina was sorry to leave her newfound family, but thought the reunions would be fun. It felt different to know that the teasing, laughing Mazoku was her mother, but somehow, Lina found it easier to adjust to than she'd thought. She was even sorry to leave Luna, her sister who'd chosen to live as her Mazoku half dictated. Luna had shown her a different side than she was used to.   
  
Xellos' mates watched as they walked away from the village. They were sorry to see him go, again, but they understood that he had business. Besides, he would be back again for his yearly visit. Or else they would go find him again.  
  
They watched Xellos walk beside Filia in the back of the group. He said something to her softly and then took her hand, shyly. Filia looked surprised for a minute and then smiled back at him bashfully. They walked into the forest silently.  
  
Shampoo grinned at Ukyo. "We start planning wedding now?"  
  
"I think we'd better."  
  
  
  
END  
  
  
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